Environment

Climate Change Report Met with Scepticism

A new US government report concluded that global temperatures rose to the highest level witnessed by modern civilization as a result of human activity. The report is in contrast with and contradicts the approach of the present White House which has stated repeatedly that modern climate change data are either a hoax or based on bad science.

Thirteen agencies produced the report in response to the mandate of the congressional National Climate Assessment. The report is backed by many years of research which conclusively demonstrates that human activity was the most significant contributor to the soaring temperatures seen over the last one hundred years. The report also warns that the temperatures will continue to climb, causing sea levels to rise and natural disasters to occur more frequently and with additional force.

The report is at odds with President Trump’s policy to reject the conclusions of climate scientists, his plan to withdraw from the Paris agreement to fight climate change, and his stated intention to negate government policies which were introduced by the previous US President Barack Obama, enacted to reduce the country’s carbon footprint.

“Foremost, we conclude based on extensive evidence, that it is extremely likely that human activities are the dominant causes of global warming,” said David Fahey, one of the lead authors. “For the warming over the last century, there is no convincing alternative explanation for the warming observed.”

The report did not convince the White House which responded by saying that the climate “has changed and is always changing.” It supported its contention by citing examples from the report which said there was uncertainty about the Earth’s sensitivity to greenhouse gasses released in the atmosphere.A White House spokesman, Raj Shah, said in a statement that the Trump administration “supports rigorous scientific analysis and debate.” He added that the US will continue to support “affordable and reliable energy needed to grow economically.” The administration will also support technology and infrastructure that lower emissions and “enable us to address future risks, including climate related risks.”

About Gail Nussbaum

Gail Nussbaum has been involved in politics and diplomacy for over 15 years. Her interest in foreign relations, economics and budget policy has led her to her position as fiscal policy writer at Left Justified. Gail can be contacted at gailnussbaum(at)leftjustified.com.